Portable vacuum pump for use with reclosable, evacuable containers

ABSTRACT

A portable vacuum unit for use with a resealable, evacuable container, comprising a vacuum pump housed within a body, an accumulator removably coupled to the body and in fluid communication with a vacuum port of the body, the accumulator comprising a receptacle, a tip, wherein a first end of the tip is coupled to a first end of the receptacle and in fluid communication therewith, the tip having a shape which facilitates interaction with a valve on the resealable, evacuable container, the tip comprising at least one support structure and a semi-rigid material coupled to a second end of the tip.

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/566,377 which claims the benefit of Provisional U.S. PatentApplication Ser. No. 60/862,396, filed Oct. 20, 2006, and is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/186,131,filed Jul. 20, 2005, which is related to and claims the benefit ofProvisional U.S. Patent Application Ser. Nos. 60/590,858, 60/602,685,and 60/609,920, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entirety.

This application includes material which is subject to copyrightprotection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimilereproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as it appears in thePatent and Trademark Office files or records, but otherwise reserves allcopyright rights whatsoever.

FIELD

The instant disclosure relates to the field of vacuum pumps for use withflexible containers, and more particularly, for hand-held vacuum pumpsfor use with resealable, disposable, evacuable plastic bags.

BACKGROUND

Plastic materials have several characteristics that make themadvantageous for use in a wide variety of applications. For example,many plastic materials are relatively inert, and can thus be used tostore a variety of materials, including foodstuffs. Plastics also have arelatively high strength to weight ratio, can be made opaque ortransparent, and can be made water and/or air tight. Because of thesecharacteristics, plastics are used in almost every aspect of modernlife.

One such use of plastics is as storage containers, and especially foodstorage bags. Because plastic is inert, plastic food storage bags can beused to store acidic foods, such as those containing tomato sauces,vinegars, and the like, for extended periods of time without concernthat the bag will break down. The food storage bags can also be madeessentially transparent, thereby permitting a user to easily see what isstored inside the bag. The high strength to weight ratio also means thatthe bag can store relatively heavy foods, such as meats, densevegetables, and the like, without fear of the bag breaking while the bagand its contents are being moved. In addition, given the waterproofnature of such plastic bags, they are ideal for containing both solidsand liquids.

One problem with plastic food storage bags is that they trap air insidethe bag with the food. Such air provides oxygen, water, and otherchemicals needed by bacteria and other microorganisms to facilitatebreaking down (i.e. spoiling) of the bag's contents. The air also allowsice crystals to form on the food when the bag is placed in a freezer.Such ice crystals can cause “freezer burn”, which is undesirable forconsumers.

Some in the prior art, such as the Food Saver line of plastic foodstorage bags and related equipment distributed by Jarden Corporation ofRye, N.Y., have addressed this by creating a bag whose open end isplaced into a specialized apparatus. The apparatus draws the air fromthe bag though the open end, and then electronically welds the plasticbag closed. Although such a system is advantageous, the bags areessentially one-time-use products, are sometimes awkward to handle, andcannot be resealed.

SUMMARY

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/168,131, assigned to the assignee ofthe instant disclosure, describes, in one embodiment, a resealable,evacuable bag for storing food and the like comprising a valveincorporated into the wall of the bag, a stand-off structure whichfacilitates airflow within the bag, and a resealable closure. Theinstant disclosure relates to a portable vacuum pump unit for use withsuch bags and other containers that facilitates opening the valve anddrawing air, liquids, and/or other fluids from the bag. Accordingly, theinstant disclosure is directed to a portable vacuum pump unit thatsubstantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitationsand disadvantages of the related art.

Additional features and advantages will be set forth in the descriptionwhich follows, and in part will be apparent from this disclosure or maybe learned by practice thereof. The objectives and other advantages willbe realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out inthis written description, including any claims contained herein and theappended drawings.

An embodiment of portable vacuum unit for use with a resealable,evacuable container, comprises a body, wherein a vacuum pump is housedwithin the body, the vacuum pump comprising an intake port and anexhaust port, wherein the body comprises a vacuum port in fluidcommunication with the intake port of the vacuum pump, and wherein thebody further comprises an exhaust port in fluid communication with theexhaust port of the vacuum pump; an accumulator, wherein the accumulatoris removably coupled to the body and in fluid communication with thevacuum port of the body, the accumulator comprising: a receptaclecomprising a first end and a second end; and, a tip comprising a firstend and a second end, wherein the first end of the tip is coupled to thefirst end of the receptacle and in fluid communication therewith, thetip having a shape which facilitates interaction with a valve on theresealable, evacuable container, the tip comprising: at least onesupport structure; and, a semi-rigid material coupled to a second end ofthe tip.

In an embodiment, an adhesive may couple the semi-rigid material to thesecond end of the tip. In an embodiment, suitable semi-rigid materialcan include, without limitation, black nitrile (Buna-N) elastomer with anominal 70 durometer hardness, neoprene, silicone, or other lowerdurometer flexible material, and may take the form of an O-ring. In anembodiment, the O-ring may be press-fit into a channel in the tip.

In an embodiment, the tip may comprise a plurality of supportstructures. Such support structures may include, but are not limited to,a plurality of ribs.

In an embodiment, the accumulator may further comprise a liquidseparator, wherein the liquid separator is in fluid communication withthe tip and the vacuum port of the pump body.

In an embodiment, the first end of the tip can be coupled to the firstend of the receptacle by way of a flexible conduit.

In an embodiment, the vacuum pump can be powered by one or morerechargeable and/or disposable batteries, which can be stored within thepump body.

In one embodiment, manufacturing efficiencies can be realized by addingthe semi-rigid material to the pump tip, rather than to the valve,because only a single application of the semi-rigid material isnecessary on the pump tip. By contrast, essentially the same quantity ofsemi-rigid material must be added to each valve on each bag. Althoughsuch manufacturing efficiencies can present a significant cost savings,in an embodiment, the semi-rigid material may be applied as a surfacetreatment or adhered to the valve, thus obviating the need for suchmaterial on the pump tip.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the disclosed portable vacuum pump unit and areincorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustratevarious embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explainthe principles of at least one embodiment of the disclosed portablevacuum pump unit.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary vacuum pump unitembodiment.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an exemplary vacuum pump unit embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a top view of an exemplary vacuum pump unit embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a top view of an exemplary resealable, evacuable containerembodiment.

FIG. 5 is a top view of an exemplary accumulator embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the exemplary accumulator embodiment of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the disclosedvacuum pump interface, examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary vacuum pump unit embodiment100. FIGS. 2 and 3 provide bottom and top views thereof. The illustratedvacuum pump unit 100 comprises a pump body 110. In an embodiment, vacuumpump unit 100 may be battery powered, and pump body 110 may comprise aremovable cover 115 such that a user can change the batteries storedwithin pump body 110. In an alternative embodiment, vacuum pump unit 100may utilize one or more rechargeable batteries, and pump body 110 may besealed to reduce the likelihood that external contaminants may enterpump body 110 and impact the performance of such batteries. In anembodiment, the lower pump surface, illustrated as part of cover 115 inFIG. 3, may be flat or slightly concave, thereby permitting vacuum pumpunit 100 to stand on such surface. This can permit the vacuum pump unitto be stored on a countertop or other such location without taking up asmuch space as if the vacuum pump unit were stored on its side.

Referring again to FIG. 1, pump body 110 may also comprise one or morevacuum pumps of traditional design (not shown). Such vacuum pumpsgenerally have an intake port and an exhaust port. The intake port isthe source of the vacuum created by such a pump, and receives gases orliquids (referred to herein generally as “fluids”) from a desiredsource. The received gases or liquids are expelled by the vacuum pumpthrough the exhaust port. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, pumpbody 110 comprises an intake port 118 which is in fluid communicationwith the vacuum pump intake port. Pump body 110 may also compriseexhaust port 112 which is in fluid communication with the vacuum pumpexhaust port.

Vacuum pump unit 100 further comprises accumulator 120. Accumulator 120can be removably coupled to pump body 110. This allows accumulator 120to be cleaned, and permits access to intake port 118 in the event intakeport 118 becomes clogged.

In the illustrated embodiment, accumulator 120 comprises a tip 130,which is in fluid communication with receptacle portion 126 ofaccumulator 120. As a vacuum is drawn, such as by the user pressingbutton 116, fluid enters vacuum pump unit 100 through tip 130, and isdrawn through receptacle 126 and into intake port 118. In an embodiment,tip 130 may be connected to receptacle 126 by way of a flexible conduit124. The flexibility of conduit 124 can help tip 130 maintain a properorientation with respect to any resealable, evacuable containers onwhich the tip is placed, despite changes in the angle of vacuum pumpunit 100 as a whole. In an embodiment, conduit 124 can permit pump body110 to be moved through approximately one hundred eighty degreesrelative to tip 130, without causing tip 130 to become unseated.

After fluid enters tip 130, it may pass through liquid separator 122prior to reaching intake port 118. Liquid separator 122 can helpseparate liquids from air or other gases in the fluid, thereby limitingthe amount of such liquids that can enter intake port 118.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary resealable, evacuable containerembodiment. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, container 400comprises a resealable closure 420. Such a seal may comprise a pluralityof interlocking members, such as those described in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/186,131, which is incorporated by referenceherein. Container 400 may also comprise at least one valve 410, and atleast one stand-off structure 430, such as the stand-off structuresdescribed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/186,131. Valve 410 canbe a one-way valve, which permits fluid to be evacuated from container200. In an embodiment, valve 410 may be operable only when an externalvacuum is exerted thereon.

Stand-off structure 430 can comprise a plurality of interconnectedridges and/or valleys, and can allow fluid to pass from the storageportion of container 400 through valve 410. Stand-off structure 430 canpermit such fluid movement despite the shape of any material stored incontainer 400, and may retain its shape even under vacuum, therebypermitting the sides of container 400 to be drawn tight under vacuum,even proximate to valve 410. Although illustrated as extending acrossonly a portion of container 400, alternative stand-off structureembodiments may be substituted therefor without departing from thespirit or the scope of the disclosed portable vacuum pump. By way ofexample, without limitation, the stand-off structure may extend from thetop of container 400 to the bottom (i.e. “vertically”), rather thanhorizontally as illustrated in FIG. 2. Similarly, stand-off structure430 may have a small surface area relative to that of container 400,such as, without limitation, a patch of stand-off structures which areadhesively bonded to container 400 proximate to valve 410. In anembodiment, stand-off structure 430 may comprise a plurality of holes orother perforations through which fluid can pass.

Referring again to FIG. 1, tip 130 may comprise a plurality of ribs orother structural supports 132. Such supports can enable tip 130 tomaintain a desired shape, even as a vacuum is drawn. This can allow tip130 to activate valve 410 of FIG. 4 and to continue such activation asthe vacuum is drawn. Supports 132 can also reduce the likelihood thatportions of valve 410 will obstruct tip 130.

Tip 130 may also comprise O-ring 134 or other, similar semi-rigidmaterial. The semi-rigid material can extend slightly from tip 130, andthus provide a deformable interface between valve 410 and tip 130. Theuse of a semi-rigid material on tip 130 can thus permit tip 130 to forma tight seal with valve 410. In an embodiment, O-ring 134 may compriseblack nitrile (Buna-N) elastomer with a nominal 70 durometer hardness,silicone, neoprene, or other flexible material, and may be adhesivelybonded to tip 130 (as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6) or may be press-fitinto a channel in or near the end of tip 130 (as illustrated in FIGS.1-3). In an embodiment, O-ring 134 may be replaced by laminating orotherwise coating at least the end of tip 130 with a semi-rigidmaterial, such as, without limitation, silicone. In an embodiment, thesemi-rigid material should be FDA approved as food safe. In anembodiment, the semi-rigid material may be slightly tacky or have anlight adhesive applied thereto, thereby helping tip 130 to remainproperly positioned proximate to valve 410. In an embodiment, O-ring 134should fit within tip 130 in a manner which reduces the formation ofhidden and/or inaccessible crevices or other openings within tip 130that might trap any fluids that pass through tip 130.

While detailed and specific embodiments of the vacuum pump interfacehave been described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that various changes and modifications can be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the vacuum pump interface. Thus,it is intended that the present disclosure cover these modifications andvariations provided they come within the scope of any appended claimsand/or their equivalents.

1. A portable vacuum unit for use with a resealable, evacuablecontainer, comprising: a body, wherein a vacuum pump is housed withinthe body, the vacuum pump comprising an intake port and an exhaust port,wherein the body comprises a vacuum port in fluid communication with theintake port of the vacuum pump, and wherein the body further comprisesan exhaust port in fluid communication with the exhaust port of thevacuum pump; an accumulator, wherein the accumulator is removablycoupled to the body and in fluid communication with the vacuum port ofthe body, the accumulator comprising: i) a receptacle comprising a firstend and a second end; and, ii) a tip comprising a first end and a secondend, wherein the first end of the tip is coupled to the first end of thereceptacle and in fluid communication therewith, the tip having a shapewhich facilitates interaction with a valve on the resealable, evacuablecontainer, the tip comprising a semi-rigid material coupled to thesecond end of the tip.
 2. The portable vacuum unit of claim 1, whereinan adhesive couples the semi-rigid material to the second end of thetip.
 3. The portable vacuum unit of claim 1, wherein the semi-rigidmaterial is nitrile.
 4. The portable vacuum unit of claim 3, wherein thesemi-rigid material is formed as an O-ring.
 5. The portable vacuum unitof claim 4, wherein tip further comprises a channel in the second endthereof, wherein the channel is sized to receive and retain the O-ring.6. The portable vacuum unit of claim 1, wherein the tip comprises aplurality of support structures.
 7. The portable vacuum unit of claim 6,wherein the plurality of support structures comprises a plurality ofribs.
 8. The portable vacuum unit of claim 1, wherein the accumulatorfurther comprises a liquid separator, wherein the liquid separator is influid communication with the tip and the vacuum port of the pump body.9. The portable vacuum unit of claim 1, wherein the first end of the tipis coupled to the first end of the receptacle by way of a conduit. 10.The portable vacuum unit of claim 9, wherein the conduit is flexible.11. The portable vacuum unit of claim 1, wherein the vacuum pump isbattery powered, and wherein the body further comprises a batterycompartment.
 12. The portable vacuum unit of claim 11, wherein thebattery compartment houses at least one battery, and wherein the atleast one battery is disposable.
 13. A portable vacuum unit for use witha resealable, evacuable container, comprising: a body, wherein a vacuumpump is housed within the body, the vacuum pump comprising an intakeport and an exhaust port wherein the body comprises a vacuum port influid communication with the intake port of the vacuum pump, and whereinthe body further comprises an exhaust port in fluid communication withthe exhaust port of the vacuum pump; an accumulator, wherein theaccumulator is removably coupled to the body and in fluid communicationwith the vacuum port of the body, the accumulator comprising: i) areceptacle comprising a first end and a second end; ii) a tip, wherein afirst end of the tip is coupled to a first end of the receptacle and influid communication therewith, the tip having a shape which facilitatesinteraction with a valve on the resealable, evacuable container, the tipcomprising a semi-rigid material coupled to the second end of the tip.iii) a liquid separator, wherein the liquid separator is in fluidcommunication with the tip and in fluid communication with the vacuumport of the pump body.
 14. The portable vacuum unit of claim 13, whereinan adhesive couples the semi-rigid material to the second end of thetip.
 15. The portable vacuum unit of claim 13, wherein the semi-rigidmaterial is nitrile.
 16. The portable vacuum unit of claim 15, whereinthe nitrile is formed as an O-ring.
 17. The portable vacuum unit ofclaim 16, wherein tip further comprises a channel in the second endthereof, wherein the channel is sized to receive and retain the O-ring.18. The portable vacuum unit of claim 13, wherein the tip comprises aplurality of support structures.
 19. The portable vacuum unit of claim18, wherein the plurality of support structures comprises a plurality ofribs.
 20. The portable vacuum unit of claim 13, wherein the first end ofthe tip is coupled to the first end of the receptacle by way of aflexible conduit.
 21. A portable vacuum unit for use with a resealable,evacuable container, comprising: a body, wherein a vacuum pump is housedwithin the body, the vacuum pump comprising an intake port and anexhaust port wherein the body comprises a vacuum port in fluidcommunication with the intake port of the vacuum pump, and wherein thebody further comprises an exhaust port in fluid communication with theexhaust port of the vacuum pump; an accumulator, wherein the accumulatoris removably coupled to the body and in fluid communication with thevacuum port of the body, the accumulator comprising: i) a receptaclecomprising a first end and a second end; ii) a tip, wherein a first endof the tip is coupled to a first end of the receptacle and in fluidcommunication therewith, the tip having a shape which facilitatesinteraction with a valve on the resealable, evacuable container, the tipcomprising a semi-rigid material; and, iii) a liquid separator, whereinthe liquid separator is in fluid communication with the tip and in fluidcommunication with the vacuum port of the pump body; and, the first endof the tip being spatially coupled to the first end of the receptacle.22. The portable vacuum unit of claim 21, wherein an adhesive couplesthe semi-rigid material to the second end of the tip.
 23. The portablevacuum unit of claim 21, wherein the semi-rigid material is nitrile. 24.The portable vacuum unit of claim 23, wherein the nitrile is formed asan O-ring.
 25. The portable vacuum unit of claim 24, wherein tip furthercomprises a channel in the second end thereof, wherein the channel issized to receive and retain the O-ring.
 26. The portable vacuum unit ofclaim 21, wherein the tip comprises a plurality of support structures.27. The portable vacuum unit of claim 26, wherein the plurality ofsupport structures comprises a plurality of ribs.
 28. The portablevacuum unit of claim 21, wherein the first end of the tip is spatiallycoupled to the first end of the receptacle by way of a conduit.
 29. Theportable vacuum unit of claim 28, at least a portion of the conduitbeing flexible.
 30. The portable vacuum unit of claim 21, the receptacleand tip being rigid.